Bangkok in a day itinerary

Bangkok, Thailand, is one of the first destinations one visits when approaching beautiful South East Asia. It is a city of many contrasts: it has an ancient and traditional side characterised by temples and museums, and a more modern side made up of sky bars and infinity pools. A destination that at first impact may leave you a little dazed, as it is really very chaotic and busy, but that in a short time will steal your heart.

Unfortunately, visiting it in a single day entails a lot of sacrifices, because there are so many things to see and some of them are located nearby. However, in 24 hours you can still immerse yourself in its unique atmosphere. Here is the itinerary for visiting Bangkok in one day!
SEE ALSO: What to see in Bangkok

Bangkok One-Day Itinerary

"/> The itinerary includes the main stops, excluding museums and attractions that would take too long.

It starts with Bangkok's must-see par excellence: the Royal Palace! Include it as your first stop, to try to avoid too many tourists during the day. As a second stop in the morning, head to nearby Wat Pho, the city's oldest temple!

In the early afternoon, after lunch, cross the Chao Phraya River and reach the marvellous Wat Arun, the Temple of Dawn, one of the most beautiful and visited temples in Bangkok. In the second half of the afternoon reach Chinatown, one of the most chaotic and characteristic neighbourhoods in Bangkok, not to be missed.

Finally, spend the evening in the world-famous Khao San Road, the hub of nightlife, full of small stalls where you can sample exquisite Thai street food and try out gastronomic specialities (including extreme dishes).

• Morning: Royal Palace (500,00 bath/€13,60), Wat Pho (200,00 bath/€5,50)

• Afternoon: Wat Arun (100,00 bath/€2,70), Chinatown (free)

• Evening: Khao San Road (free)

• Distance travelled: 7.9 km

• Where to eat: Lunch at Supanniga Eating Room Tha Tien, Riva Arun Hotel River Front 392/25-26 Maha Rat Rd (Get directions) / Dinner at Khao San Road night market(Get directions)

Below we look in detail at the stops on our itinerary.

1 - Bangkok Royal Palace

The day can only begin at the Bangkok Royal Palace, one of the most visited attractions in all of Bangkok! Located on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, it was built in 1782, when Bangkok became the country's capital following the fall of the Ayutthaya and Thonburi kingdoms.

The complex, surrounded by a 1.9 km long wall, comprises more than 100 buildings including palaces and pavilions. The main focus of the palace is the marvellous Wat Phra Kaew chapel, inside which is a marvellous emerald Buddha statue. Everyone is allowed in, but you will be asked to remove your shoes before entering.

Visiting info: open daily 8:30am-3:30pm. Single admission 500.00 bath (€13.60).

Visit it as afirst stop: this is one of the most visited attractions in all of Bangkok, which is really taken by tourists. This is why we recommend visiting it as a first stop, preferably at opening time, at the latest by 10am.

2 - Wat Pho

After your visit to the Royal Palace, which will take you half the morning, head to the nearby Wat Pho, Bangkok's oldest and largest temple. It is only a 10-minute walk from the first stop (750 m).

Its importance lies mainly in what it houses inside: a marvellous Lying Buddha, a good 46 m long and about 15 m high. The soles of his feet are completely covered with mother-of-pearl and various Buddhist scenes are depicted. After admiring this masterpiece, take some time to stroll around the gardens surrounding the entire complex. It was here that Thailand's first public university dedicated to traditional medicine was opened and has been home to the world's most important Thai massage school since 1782.

Visiting info: open daily 8:30am-6:30pm. Single admission 200.00 bath (€5.50).

Consider a one-off tour: a great way to save time at the entrances and get around without hassle is to take part in a guided tour combining the Grand Royal Palace, Wat Pho and Wat Arun, all of which are close to each other and which we also included in the itinerary. Starts 9.30am or 2.30pm, duration 2 to 4 hours.

3 - Wat Arun

After lunch near Wat Pho, cross the Chao Praya River to one of the most beautiful temples in all of Bangkok, Wat Arun. You can get there by taking the cross river fer ry to the Wat Arun Ferry Pier stop, on the Tha Tian-Wat Arun route.

Overlooking the opposite bank of the river, it is also known as the'Temple of Dawn' and its name comes from the Indian deity of Dawn, Aruna. The eye is immediately drawn to the þrahng, its 82 m high Khmer-style tower. You can also climb up the steps of the tower, admiring the ceramic tiles that cover it, decorated with floral motifs. An absolute must-see.

Visiting info: open daily 8.30am-5.30pm. Admission 100.00 bath (€2.70).

Consider a night tour: should you decide to extend your stay and stay at least one night in Bongkok, definitely consider the fantastic night temple tour, where you can admire the wonderful Wat Arun all lit up.

4 - Chinatown

In the second half of the afternoon reach Chinatown, one of Bangkok's most authentic and chaotic neighbourhoods. From Wat Arun, take the boat back to the shore of Wat Pho, and from there we recommend taking a taxi to Chinatown (2.7 km, 10 min). Alternatively, you can also try the adrenaline-pumping experience of the tuk tuk, which is faster but more dangerous. In this case, the price must be haggled over before you get in!

Chinatown takes the form of a dense network of small streets, full of traditional shops, pharmacies and many stalls selling all kinds of products. The main street is Sampaeng Lane, entirely pedestrianised, from which several streets branch off, some selling gold, others spices, others textiles.

If you're not sick of temples, visit Wat Traimit: in the Chinatown district is Wat Tramit, a small temple that houses the largest solid gold Buddha statue in the world, a good 3 m high and weighing over 5 tonnes. Open daily 9am-5pm, single admission 20.00 bath (€0.55). Get directions

5 - Khao San Road

Photo by Marcin Konsek. If you only have one day to spare, there is only one place to visit in the evening: Khao San Road! This is Bangkok's nightlife mecca, located in the old part, not too far from the Royal Palace. To get there from Chinatown, the best option is to take a taxi (4.4 km, 15 min).

All in all, it is a long street, popular especially among backpackers, who find plenty of accommodation here at really cheap prices. As soon as you set foot, you will be overwhelmed by the smells, colours and sounds, thanks to the many stalls where you can sample the delicious and famous Thai street food! Abundant portions, cheap prices and also very unusual dishes, only suitable for the brave: you may come across stalls selling insects or spiders to eat. The best end to a day in Bangkok!

Don'tmiss out on Pad Thai: on your journey through Thai street food delicacies, you can't miss out on Pad Thai, one of the most famous and best-loved street food dishes in Thailand! This dish is made of rice noodles stir-fried in a wok, to which shrimp, peanuts and other seasonings are added - you must try it!

Activities and ideas for alternative itineraries

In our itinerary, we focused on ancient Bangkok, but there is also modern Bangkok to discover, made up of sky bars (like the famous Sky Bar Lebua where they filmed some scenes of the second 'Hangover' movie), skyscrapers and shopping malls. Here you will also find Siam Square (free of charge), the large square surrounded by shopping malls and modern buildings. To admire the city from above, we recommend climbing the King Power MahaNakhon SkyWalk, Bangkok's highest panoramic observatory ( discounted entrance ticket available).

Back to the temples, obviously the ones we have shown you are only a part! Other interesting temples are Wat Saket (20.00 bath/€0.55), situated on a hill and welcoming you with the jingle of many golden bells, and Wat Benchamabophit (20.00 bath/€0.55), known as the Marble Temple.

If you love markets, you could opt for a visit to the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market, but this is 100 km away, so the best option is to take part in anorganised excursion, with transport included (6 hrs).
SEE ALSO: What to see in Bangkok: the 18 best sights and things to do

• Family city tour: morning Siam Square and SEA LIFE Bangkok. Afternoon at Lumphini Park and climb the King Power MahaNakhon SkyWalk. Evening Old Bangkok. Alternatively, all day at Siam Park City amusement park

• Free attractions itinerary: Morning modern Bangkok with Siam Square and Bangkok Art & Culture Centre. Afternoon stroll through Lumphini Park and visit Chinatown. Evening Khao San Road

• Modern Bangkok itinerary: morning departure from Siam Square, walk through modern Bangkok and visit the Jim Thompson House Museum. Afternoon Chinatown and climb the King Power MahaNakhon SkyWalk. Evening among the skybars, such as Sky Bar Lebua

• Day among the temples of Bangkok: morning Wat Arun and Wat Pho. Afternoon Wat Saket and Wat Benchamabophit. Evening Khoa San Road

• Day betweenBangkok and the floating market: morning excursion to Damnoen Saduak floating market (departure 7:30 am, 6 hrs). Afternoon return to Bangkok and visit the Royal Palace and Wat Pho. Evening Khoa San Road

• Day trip toAyutthaya: If you have visited Bangkok before, we recommend aday trip to the temples and floating market in Ayutthaya. Duration 8 h, departure 9:50 a.m., transport included

Before you go: useful tips

1. Getaround by taxi: it is cheap and fast. Make sure you only get into official, metered taxis! Otherwise, you will have to haggle over the price but it is not very easy - find out more

2. Avoid thecar: the car in Bangkok is really to be avoided! The traffic is chaotic and anarchic, with no right of way or other rules of the road being respected - read more

3. Wear suitable clothing: despite the sweltering, humid heat, you must cover up in the temples! It is therefore forbidden to enter with bare shoulders or trousers that are too short. Perhaps bring a scarf to put over your shoulders and wear clothes in natural fibres.

4. Respect the rules: when visiting some temples, you may be asked to remove your shoes. These rules must be respected, otherwise you will not be able to enter. Perhaps bring a spare pair of socks or something to wipe your feet when you have to put your shoes back on.

5. Enjoy the street food: delicious, world-famous and unique! Thai street food is a must-try. It is also very cheap! The more daring can also try some rather strange things, such as insects or spiders - find out more

6. Always carry cash: very few places accept credit or debit cards, especially in the older part of town. So make sure you always have cash, especially to pay for taxis and temple admissions.